Water Up, The Angler Is Revealed

Water Up, The Angler Is Revealed

Dec 23, 2018

Location: Kelly Ane Williamason Pond, aka "Fly Lab II"

Conditions: Bright, high skies, sunny

Wind: light, WNW

Temperature -  

Air: 50's

Water: Cold 

Tackle: 

• 7' Shakespeare "Wild Series" light spinning rod 
• 2500 size, 1 bearing, South Bend reel

(One bearing? What the heck is that?)

• 6# test Mr.Crappie, "Camo" monfilament

Tactics: Silent Stalking Weightless Finesse Worm 

With the passing of the recent storm fronts, we're looking at freshened, cool conditions for the next 5 days. 

This means mild day temps and stabilizing atmospheric conditions, both of which improve the chances of meeting with some willing fish, even in winter. 

I was hopeful.

My usual hangout is nearby power reservoir, Lake Murray, but it is earning its nickname right now - "Lake Murky." 

Recent rains have turned the water to turbid soup, and the level has been severely lowered for their six year maintenance program. 

So I opted to visit Fly Lab II, aka, Kelly Ane Williamason Pond.

The fact that the pond belongs to my neighbor and is only 100 yards from the back door is a bonus!
Thanks to Kelly for the opportunity.

As The Worm Turns *

This is what happens to a "weedless" worm that gets snagged. I don't know what it hung up on, of course, but I had to go to the straight-line-pull-and-pray method of release. 

It came loose, but as you can see, the worm was worse for wear. 

This is a red / black fleck Zoom 4" Trick worm on a 1/0 Tru-Turn worm hook. 

* And who doesn't like to say, "... as the worm turns?"

High Water

Here you can see how far the water in the pond has risen with all the rain we've had lately. 

The yellowed, stick-up weeds you see in the back were 6 feet from the waters edge, high and dry just a few weeks ago. 

Now the water is all the way up into the long grass and the pond has risen about 5 feet overall.
This brings a lot more open water to the fish, giving them maybe 50% more surface area. 

It also increases the depth significantly. All in all, this has probably doubled the total water available to  them. This bodes well for future recruitment, I hope.

But, with more room to run, it is harder to pinpoint them. 
Today, though, I finally found a school of bass in a south-facing, back corner. 
The blue skies and bright sun had their effect back in there, and the water was undoubtedly warmer than the rest of the pond. 

I was slowly working my way back, one cast at a time. Its a placid world in the small pond, and you can't just crash around like a baby elephant.
This ain't "power bassin' at the big lake" - you have to move deliberately and with care. "Stalking" is how I think of it.
I had received one strike along the way, for my trouble, but it didn't result in a solid hookup.

But, eventually, I got close enough to the corner. 

I sent my my first cast back towards a little inlet in the weeds - and the place erupted in a boil for 10 yards around!

Previously languid, sunning fish were frightened by a hefty worm falling from the trees, I guess.

They scattered in a rush, and I figured at least three to five fish were there.

"Well, it makes sense they're back there. Its warm and calm. Now I know...," I muttered to myself.

Good anglers talk to themselves, by the way; don't let anyone tell you different.

And, warmed up by the sun, they didn't miss their chance at a worm falling on their head from the trees.... I hooked up with two more fish from that corner before the commotion drove them away.

A Study in Grass

I had gotten a line tangle along the way, as often happens when light casting on a spinning rig. I stood there at the waters edge, juggling line nippers, rod, camera.... and this picture was captured. 

Now that I see it, I like it and have made it my phones new wallpaper.

Fish at the Edge

This one was waiting for me to get the camera-phone out. 

Camera phones. What is it about these damned devices?

You use one to take a picture, then get it switched into standby mode and secured in your pocket, to await the next photo. So far so good, right?

Then, when you catch a fish and have it subdued, you pull out the camera-phone....

And you find the thing has gotten into some whacked out mode that's not even close to how you stowed it. 

You spend the next 30 seconds trying to get the shot.

• "Careful - don't drop it!" you shout.
• "Watch out! Don't step in that ant pile!"
• Agggh! My fingers are wet and the buttons don't work!"
• "Oh crap... the fish is getting away! Grab it, quick!!"
• "There, now my fingers are dry....Hey, I didn't touch that #$&^% button; why did it do THAT!?"

Fortunately, the fish was patient and I was able to get things in hand and get the shot

Hooked Deep

I crushed the barb on these hooks, so I was able to extract the thing without too much stress to the fish. Its a hazard one faces when fishing weightless worms; fish sometimes pick the thing up gently, and gobble it before you know they are there. 

And since I'm not a guru of worm fishing, with a cosmic connection to the fish, this is usually a distinct possibility. 

On the other hand, a deep caught hook means the fish is unlikely to throw it, so it's something of a back-handed benefit.

With a crushed barb, though, I take much of the worry out of extraction and release if the fish gets hooked down in its gullet.

So I do it.

   

The Angler, Hisself

While I was fooling around with the camera-phone early on, trying not to drop it or step on the ant hill, I managed to snap this pick of myself in flip lens mode. 

I was surprised when I first saw this...

"Who the hell is THAT creepy old fart?

How did he get in there?"

Ooops, the answer became obvious.

Now some guys would reject such a pic, and delete it immediately. 

But I'm embracing it. 

You can't undo the moment and you either own it like a boss, or, well... there is no other choice.

"I yam, what I yam"

- Popeye The Sailor

Thanks for reading and Tight Lines,

Go ahead and comment, subscribe, and join us on Facebook: Palmetto Fly N Fish

David

Palmetto Fly N Fish ©2018

Slug-Go A' Go-go

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Slug Go
The First Soft Stick Bait
Dec 22, 2018

These came into the stash not long ago. Some of you old timers will probably recognize them: "Slug-Go" soft stickbaits

What Is A Slug-Go?

Not this Sluggo...

THIS Slug-Go

The Slug-Go soft plastic stickbait was the brainchild of Connecticut angler Herb Reed. Herb was an innovative hobbyist, and the first Slug-Go's were originally made in his garage.

However, from such humble beginnings, they effectively took the game fishing world by storm. They started a revolutionary style of fishing that is still going strong - the soft jerk-bait, or "fluke."

When they first appeared in the 1980's, the Slug- Go wasn't the first lure to be made from soft, man-made materials. Rubber, latex, sponge rubber and early forms of PVC soft plastic had all been used.

It's also fair to say that the Slug-Go wasn't well received at its introduction. There is little exotic, bright, or lurid about them.  
No wild colors, no wiggly, dangly appendages, no noisy hardware. 
None of that stuff.
Subsequently, anglers weren't exactly flocking to them.

Then, a few bass tournament guys started winning big with them. Suddenly, everyone looked around and realized they had missed the  the Slug-Go when it came on the scene.

And it was something of a shocker.

Here was a bait that doesn't employ a straight-line retrieve like other artificials. Instead, deliberate but also random movement is the Slug-Go's strong suit. 

Generally, artificial lures are retrieved by turning the reel handle, and bringing the lure back to you. 
This "retrieve," as it is called, results in the lure returning in a straight line. You can stop them, and maybe twitch them forward - but that straight line movement remains their only trick.

The Slug-Go can do that, too, but it also does something quite different. 
Just stop the bait, and give it a small pop with the rod tip. Now, the Slug-Go is sent into darting, erratic spasms, snatching itself into random movements that bass - and fishermen - had never seen before.
The fish were striking it with abandon, and it was all high demand and hurry up, from that point on!

Herb was mostly selling his hand made baits to locals back in the day, and he spent several years of trial-and-error developing the lure. But, when it hit, he didn't waste time expanding his, "Lunker City" garage shop to meet demand. It's now a renowned business.

History was made, and the Slug-Go became one of the best selling soft-plastic baits ever. They are still made, and widely available, which probably says more than anything about their effectiveness. 

Whats In the Package?

The bait itself is nothing more than a tapered stick of soft plastic PVC, with a few grooves molded around the center of the belly section. In cross-section, it has a "V" shape.

Slug-Go's are available in 3", 6", 7.5", 9", and 12" versions; the ones I have are 6" long.
They are laminated, dark black/blue on top, pearl blue-grey on the bottom. The label card says they are color code #34 (which appears to now be out of production).
There are 10 of them in the still-sealed package, and the attached price tag says, "$4.59." 
Today the same baits are $7.50-$8.00.

The label also proudly proclaims they are "used and recommended" by no less than Bass Hall of Famer, Doug Hannon!
(Doug is deceased now, as of 2013, passing from complications as a result of neck surgery.
May he Rest In Peace.)

Doug Hannon

The top of the bait has a dished surface, running the entire length, with the words, "SLUG-GO TM PATENT," molded in.
It looks very loosely like a fishy shaped thing, but that's it.
Like I said - kinda unimpressive and plain.

So Whats The Big Deal?
But its not how they look, that matters. If THAT was the case, they would have died with Billy Oceans' career. 

No, it's the action that is the main thing. 
Here's how it's been described...

"It has a much longer glide than most of the other soft jerkbaits. You don’t have to wreck your forearms and twitch it like crazy—just soft, intermittent twitches of your rod tip send this bait darting from side to side. After each twitch, it keeps forward momentum quite well and beautifully imitates a dying or injured baitfish."(1)

A salt-water angler described it this way...

"The Slug-Go acted more like an eel,... than an eel. 
It wriggled left, then right, then rose to the surface and stuck its nose out of the water. 
Then when I stopped reeling, it slithered and wobbled enticingly as it settled. 
It was the most amazing, incredible action I had ever seen, coming from something that looked more like a slug, than a slug.

Three cobia rushed the Slug-Go, the smallest, a 20-pounder. Cobia can be quite finicky, but this fish ate it with the same enthusiasm they have for devouring a live, wiggling eel. I set the hook, and a few minutes later boated my first fish with a Slug-Go... the year was 1989." (2)

Cobia, my dear reader. Salt water. The Slug-Go is also versatile.

And that was 1989. What's that...30 years ago?

Where Are They Now?

Today, 3 1/2 decades after its inception, you don't hear much about the Slug-Go. 
In the modern world of fishing lures, nothing stays popular for too long; fishermen are pretty fickle. The newest thing comes along, and the New Hotshot Bro's hype the new gear. 
There are always a few people that hang on to the older stuff, of course, but the light fades fast on most lures. 

Today, the Slug-Go has been supplanted by... drumroll please...

The Senko and Fluke. 

The Slug-Go was eventually overshadowed by these "latest and greatest" PVC soft sticks, and for good reason: 

They are good at doing the same job the Slug-Go does.

In fact, the flukes are even more "fishy" looking, at least to the human eye. The most popular ones, the Zoom Fluke and Super Fluke, are very realistic, as you can see below...

Zoom Fluke

In the end, the anglers' love for the newfangled, good marketing by the competition, and plain old market share took the Slug-Go out of the limelight more than anything. 

So How Do They Work?
I have no idea. The ones I've featured are still sealed in original packaging, and I don't intend to open them any time soon. 
No, I don't imagine my sealed and pristine package of Slug-Go's is a rare and valuable collectible. 
I won't be retiring on them. 

But I find it hard to open original packaging on ANYTHING, when it's clean and intact. 

And as it happens, I was able to acquire several dozen Slug-Go's from a bulk buyer, in a loose format, without the original packaging.
So, I'll go with those.

Fish 'Em Like This
Old Herb Reed was very helpful, however, in telling me HOW to fish his Slug-Go.

If you look at the opening pictures again, you'll see the back of the label card is covered with information about using the Slug-Go to best effect. 

This used to be quite common in years passed - most lures came with what amounts to an operators manual.
You don't see that much, nowadays. 

So, what did Mr. Reed suggest?

1. First, he is adamant about making sure the bait is rigged absolutely straight on the hook, without bends, twists, or kinks. Otherwise the enticing, "out-of control" action is lost.

2. Next, Slug-Go should be rigged, "Tex-posed fashion," with the hook point protected in the groove that runs the length of the baits back.

3. While Slug-Go is intended primarily as a surface and near-surface bait, options include weighting with nail weights (not bullet weights), and going even deeper with Carolina style rigging.

He also offers general fishing tips for Slug-Go's, to make them irresistible to fish. Here are a few examples of the tutorial information on the package:

Not The End
I've heard of Slug-Go's for years, but never knew anything about them. I looked down my nose at all the wannabe "bass masters," and only recently came around to soft plastics as something I might actually use. 

Sorry, all you bassers. I'll try to do better.

However, coming late to the party as I do, I find myself  also interested in the EARLY techniques and baits more than anything ultra modern and supposedly, "cutting edge."
I'm a crank, and it's an odd twist to which I admit. 

But, I figure every bass in the lake has seen a Zoom Fluke or senko by now, thrown at them by every Walmartian, lip-rippin' baitcaster in these parts. 

But, maybe, just maybe, they haven't seen a Slug-Go, one fished just the way their creator intended.
So that's what I'm going with.
Next time, we'll see how they do in the water.

Quoted sources

1. Walker Smith, https://www.wired2fish.com/tackle-reviews/tackle-talk-lunker-city-slug-go/

2. Bob McNally, www.boats.com/reviews/boats/jerk-wormin/

www.boats.com/reviews/boats/jerk-wormin/

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Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

David Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2018/2024 

Water Down Temperature Up

Water Down Temperature Up

Dec 16, 2018

The temperature was a balmy mid-60's today, with bright sunlight and blue skies. This was in stark contrast to the recent cold fronts, storms and rain we've seen over the last week. On a day like this, it's a requirement to get up and go to the lake!

Lake Murray is still low from the Sixth Season Winter draw-down, and should remain so for some time. I expect it won't be back to full pool until summer.

Sadly, I fear this bodes ill for the coming season's shore fishing. 

All the food items normally part of the shore environment are dried up... the nymphs, clams, various invertebrates, crustaceans - all are gone. 

Normal breeding and recruitment areas are high and dry, too.

I expect this may have the effect of pushing the fish further out from shore, and keeping them there, at least until the near-shore aquatic environment is re-established. 

It'll probably take a season or two to settle back.  

With the water down, though, access to areas otherwise underwater is possible. All sorts of things are revealed this way. For example, in the foto above, the cut channels seen in the center of the little cove were unknown to me until today.

Snapping turtle remains
I may go back and retrieve this. It's macabre, but cleaned up, it would make a neat "trophy."

This marker broke loose, drifted ashore while the water was still up... and now it's high and dry

The Tandem Worm/Fluke Rig

This rigging method uses dual lures to simulate a small "school" of baitfish.
It can be highly productive when the bass are active, plus it can often be used to stimulate inactive fish to strike. Once you see it in the water, you will immediate recognize why it can be so effective at drawing fish.

Looking carefully at the photo, you will see a swivel tied to the end of the main line and a 14-inch leader with a lure attached to that. In this case, its a Strike King KVD, Shim-E-Stick in "Baby Bass" color.  The heavy, Senko-style worm provides good casting weight.

Just above that swivel, you will note another swivel with an 8-inch leader and another lure, in this case a yellow/gold worm.

That second swivel is NOT tied to the main line; it is threaded on above the first swivel. 

This allows the short leader and lure to move freely up/down the main line, but its held well above the point lure, down there on the longer leader.

There may be a little bit of twisting of the two leaders, at times. But, it is minimal, thanks to the swivels, and it comes out when you cast the lures. 

Once, in the water, just a little action applied to this rig will result in each lure veering, zig-zagging, and jumping in different directions. A series of short, rapid jerks makes the lures look a mini-school of baitfish. 
It's really and amazing thing to see.

- I let it sink to the bottom, then lift the rod tip high. This makes the lures leap up from the bottom, then I "pop" and "snap" the rod tip so the pair zip and dart back and forth. Then I hold the rod still and let the pair glide back down and repeat.

- Or, I might start moving the lures just after the cast, with the rod held high. This way they stay near the surface, like swimming prey.

This and much more about soft baits can be found here:

http://www.stickmarsh.com/articles/article145.shtml

Sigma 3035S Reel
Im starting to like this thing more and more....

Shimano Spinning Rod.

6'6" Medium Action
This came to me when I inherited all my dads fishing gear.
I like it enough that I'm looking for another

The Waters Edge Clean-Up Plunder (top center, clockwise)

Trailer Tail-light 

Massive wad of fishing line

Skeletal cellphone remains

Lipless rankbait

Pickup cap from spincast reel

LED disc light

Various boat fittings (dead sonar transducer, motor skeg, clamp whatsis)

Gatorade bottle

The disc light and lipless crankbait.

Both are cleaned up, working, and back in action.

Thanks for reading and,

Tight Lines,

David

Palmetto Fly N Fish, ©2018

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